Vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

Provided is a vacuum cleaner which comprises: a cleaner body formed with a mounting space; a vacuum motor mounted in the cleaner body to produce suction force; a brush assembly connected to the cleaner body; a dust collection device mounted in the mounting space and having a dust collection bin; and a lifting/lowering unit for lifting or lowering the dust collection bin in relation to the cleaner body, so that the dust collection bin is anchored in the mounting space or removed from the mounting space, wherein the lifting/lowering unit is mounted on the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin so that it can be mounted in the mounting space or removed from the mounting space along with the dust collection bin. As a result, it is possible to prevent the leakage of discharge air and to reduce the pollution and malfunction of the lifting/lowering unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C §119(a) from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0061069 filed Jun. 30, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner for cleaning a surface, and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner having a lifting/lowering unit for use in mounting a dirt collection bin on a cleaner body or removing the dirt collection bin from the cleaner body.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a vacuum cleaner is an appliance for suctioning dust-contained in air, removing dust from the air, and discharging dust-free air, wherein such a vacuum cleaner comprises a cleaner body and a dust collection device mounted in a mounting space formed on the cleaner body. The dust collection device comprises a dust collection bin for temporarily storing filtered dust, wherein in order to receive filtered dust, the dust collection bin should be fixed to the mounting space in the vacuum cleaner in such a manner that the dust collection bin is neither shaken nor released, and when the dust fills the dust collection bin to some extent, the dust collection bin should be removed from the mounting space so as to throw away the collected dust.

In particular, an upright type vacuum cleaner employs a lifting/lowering unit for use in lifting or lowering a dust collection bin within a mounting space so as to mount or remove the dust collection bin. Such a lifting/lowering unit is mounted on the bottom wall of the mounting space formed on the cleaner body so that when the lifting/lowering unit is lifted from the bottom of the mounting space, it pushes the dust collection bin upward, thereby making the dust collection bin come into close contact with a cyclone cylinder so as to fix the dust collection bin in such a manner as to be unmovable, or when the lifting/lowering unit is lowered and thus returned to its original position, the dust collection bin is spaced from the cyclone cylinder.

The publication of Korean Patent No. 433407 owned by the applicant also discloses a vacuum cleaner, wherein a lifting/lowering unit is installed on the bottom wall of a mounting space for receiving a dust collection device, the mounting space being formed on the cleaner body of the vacuum cleaner, and a dust collection bin, which is laid on the top of the lifting/lowering unit, comes into close contact with the cyclone cylinder or is spaced from the cyclone cylinder as a lever part is rotated left or right. However, because an air tubing, which is provided within the vacuum cleaner, and through which air from the cyclone cylinder is discharged, is curved toward the cleaner body of the vacuum cleaner, the flow passage for discharge air is increased, which results in a pressure loss. In addition, the cyclone cylinder is mounted in the mounting space and only the dust collection bin is removable. Therefore, there was a disadvantage in that when the dust collection bin is removed, dust or the like deposited on the inner wall of the cyclone cylinder drops, thereby causing the pollution or even the malfunction of the lifting/lowering unit and reducing the lifetime of the lifting/lowering unit.

The publication of Korean Patent No. 471142 also owned by the applicant also discloses a vacuum cleaner in which air discharged from a cyclone chamber is adapted to be discharged through the bottom wall of a dust collection bin so as to reduce the length of tubing for use in discharging air from the cyclone chamber, as a result of which the loss of pressure in the tubing can be reduced. However, with such a construction, it was difficult to apply a lifting/lowering unit for lifting and lowering the dust collection bin due to the leakage of air between the dust collection bin and the body of the vacuum cleaner, for which problem researches have been continuously made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least the above problems. Therefore, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a vacuum cleaner, which can reduce the pressure loss in a flow passage of discharge air as well as suppress the leakage of discharge air occurring in a lifting/lowering unit interposed between a dust collection bin and a cleaner body.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a vacuum cleaner, which can reduce the pollution of a lifting/lowering unit, thereby reducing the malfunction of the lifting/lowering unit, as well as increasing the lifetime of the lifting/lowering unit.

To achieve the above-described object, there is provided a vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaner body formed with a mounting space; a vacuum motor mounted in the cleaner body to produce suction force; a brush assembly connected to the cleaner body; a dust collection device mounted in the mounting space and having a dust collection bin; and a lifting/lowering unit for lifting or lowering the dust collection bin in relation to the cleaner body, so that the dust collection bin is anchored in the mounting space or removed from the mounting space, wherein the lifting/lowering unit is mounted on the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin so that it can be mounted in the mounting space or removed from the mounting space along with the dust collection bin.

With this arrangement, because the lifting/lowering unit is mounted on the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin, when it moves downward, the dust collection bin comes into close contact with the cyclone cylinder, and when it moves upward to its original position (toward the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin), the cyclone cylinder and the dust collection bin are spaced from each other. As a result, the leakage of discharge air can be effectively prevented. In addition, because the lifting/lowering unit mounted on the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin, the lifting/lowering unit can be removed along with the dust collection bin when the dust collection bin is removed. As a result, the pollution of the lifting/lowering unit and the malfunction of the lifting/lowering unit caused by the pollution can be avoided or at least reduced.

Here, it is preferable that the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin is formed with a recess and the lifting/lowering unit is fitted in the recess.

In addition, the lifting/lowering unit may comprise: a lifting/lowering control member fitted in the recess; and a plurality of cam guides which are provided on the lifting/lowering control member and the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin, respectively. The lifting/lowering control member may comprise a lever part capable of being gripped by a hand, and a body part integrally formed with the lever part. The cam guides may comprise first and second cam guides projecting from the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin, and third and fourth cam guides projecting from the body part in such a manner as to be engaged with the first and second cam guides.

In addition, the cam guides may further comprise a fifth cam guide projecting from the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin in such a manner as to come into contact with the lever part, thereby separating the lever part from the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an air outlet port is formed through the bottom wall of the dust collection bin and a bore is formed in the lifting/lowering unit, so that air purified in the dust collection device is introduced into a motor chamber, within which the vacuum motor is installed, via the air outlet port and the bore.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above aspects and features of the present disclosure will be more apparent by describing certain embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a body part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the dust collection bin and the lifting/lowering unit of FIG. 1 in an assembled state;

FIG. 4 shows the dust collection bin and the lifting/lowering unit of FIG. 1 in a disassembled state;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a lifting/lowering control member, which is viewed from the lower side thereof;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the lifting/lowering control member, which is viewed from the upper side thereof;

FIGS. 7 to 9 show the operation of a screw member inserted into a recess in a state in which the lever part is not rotated;

FIG. 10 shows a vacuum cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the dust collection bin of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the lifting/lowering control member, which is viewed from the upper side thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings. In the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings. In the following description, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations incorporated herein have been omitted for conciseness and clarity.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a cleaner body 10, a dust collection device 20, and a lifting/lowering unit 30.

The cleaner body 10 has a handle 15 formed at the top end of the cleaner body I 0 to be capable of being gripped by a user, and a brush assembly 13 for suctioning dust from the outside of the cleaner body 10 is connected to the bottom end of the cleaner body 10.

The dust collection device 20 includes a cyclone cylinder 21 fixedly installed in a mounting space formed on the cleaner body 10, the cyclone cylinder 21 suctioning external air and separating dust from the suctioned air, and a dust collection bin 23 mounted to be in close contact with the bottom end of the cyclone cylinder 21 so as to collect dust separated in the cyclone cylinder 2 1. The dust collection bin 23 can be spaced from the cyclone cylinder 21, which is fixedly installed on the cleaner body 10. From the front face of the dust collection bin 23, gripping knobs 24 are projected so that the duct collection bin can be gripped by the user. At the center of the dust collection bin 23, there is provided an outlet tube 40, through which air is discharged from the cyclone cylinder 21, and at the central area of the bottom wall of the dust collection bin 23, there is provided an outlet port 27, through which the air passing the outlet tube 40 is discharged to the outside.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, on the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin 23, there are provided a first recess 23 a formed at the central area of the outer bottom surface in such a manner as to be capable of receiving a body part 25 a of a lifting/lowering control member 25, and a second recess 23 b formed in a fan shape on the outer bottom surface and connected to the first recess 23 a, the second recess 23 b cooperating with a lever part 25 b, which is formed on the lifting/lowering member 25, in such a manner as to limit the rotating angle of the body part 25 a. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 28 indicates a filter unit, reference numeral 28 a indicates a skirt for interrupting the backflow of dust or dirt, and reference numeral 42 indicates an anti-rotation member for preventing the dust stored in the dust collection bin 23 from being rotated by swirling airflow.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the lifting/lowering unit 30 comprises a plurality of cam guides 23 e, 23 f, 23 g, 25 g and 25 h, a lifting/lowering control member 25, and first and second central pipes 23 d and 25 f, wherein the lifting/lowering unit 30 is mounted on the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin 23, and when the dust collection bin 23 is positioned in the mounting space 9, the lifting/lowering unit 30 comes into close contact with the bottom wall 10 a of the mounting space 9. By increasing or decreasing the gap L1 between the bottom wall 10 a and the bottom surface of the lifting/lowering unit 30, the lifting/lowering unit 30 lifts or lowers the dust collection bin 23 in relation to the bottom wall 10 a of the mounting space 9. When the lifting/lowering unit 30 presses on the bottom wall 10 a, thereby lifting the dust collection bin 23 to increase the gap L1 between the bottom surface of the collection bin 23 and the bottom wall 10 a, the dust collection bin 23 comes into close contact with the outer bottom surface of the cyclone cylinder 21. In contrast, when the lifting/lowering unit 30 decreases the gap L1 between the bottom surface of the dust collection bin 23 and the bottom wall 10 a, thereby lowering the dust collection bin 23, the dust collection bin 23 can be spaced from the cyclone cylinder 21, so that the dust collection bin 23 can be pulled out from the mounting space 9.

The cam guides comprise first to fifth cam guides 23 e, 23 f, 25 g, 25 h and 23 g, wherein the first cam guide 23 e and the second cam guide 23 f project from the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin 23 along the circumference of the outlet port 27 in such a manner as to surround the first central pipe 23 d. The fifth cam guide 23 g has the same circular arc as the first recess 23 a and is projectedly formed in the second recess 23 b. Due to the fifth cam guide 23 g, when the lifting/lowering control member 25 rotates, a part of the top surface of the lever part 25 b comes into slidable contact with the fifth cam guide 23 g, thereby maintaining the gap between the outer bottom surface 23-1 of the dust collection bin 23 and the top surface of the lever part 25 b. As a result, when the body part 25 a is spaced away from the outer bottom surface 23-1 by coming into contact with the first and second cam guides 23 e and 23 f, the lever part 25 b is likewise spaced from the outer bottom surface 23-1 by coming into contact with the fifth cam guide 23 g, whereby the lifting/lowering control member 25 can be stably rotated. The third and fourth cam guides 25 g and 25 h are formed on the lifting/lowering control member 25, wherein the third and fourth cam guides 25 g and 25 h are engaged and rotated with the first and second cam guides 23 e and 23 f, respectively.

The lifting/lowering control member 25 consists of a body part 25 a and a lever part 25 b. The body part 25 a is formed in a circular shape and the lever part 25 b extends from the circumference of the body part 25 a to a side of the body part 25 a. The body part 25 a has a second central pipe 25 f, which is formed on one of the bottom and top surfaces of the body part 25 a in such a manner as to be capable of being inserted into the first central pipe 23 d, wherein the second central pipe 25 f has a bore 25 e formed through the second central pipe 25 f. The bore 25 e formed through the body part 25 a is communicated with the outlet port 27 formed in the dust collection bin 23, so that air can be discharged to the motor chamber 10 b. If the body part 25 a is rotated in one direction or the other direction, the first cam guide 23 e and the second cam guide 23 f are engaged and rotated with the third cam guide 25 g and the fourth cam guide 25 h, respectively, thereby lifting or lowering the dust collection bin 23. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, on the circumference of the body part 25 a, there are formed third and fourth recesses 25 c and 25 d, which are equi-spaced from the lever part 25 b, wherein the top wall of each of the recesses 25 c and 25 d is divided into an inclined guide wall 26 a and a horizontal guide wall 26 b, which extends horizontally from the upper end of the inclined guide wall. FIG. 5 shows only the third recess 25 c and the guide walls 26 a, 26 b thereof. The fourth recess 25 d and the guide walls thereof, which are not shown in FIG. 5, are formed in the same construction as the third recess 25 c and the guide walls thereof opposite to the third recess 25 c and the guide walls thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 7 to 9, the dust collection bin 23 is provided with at least two anchoring members so as to allow the lifting/lowering control member 25 to be engaged with the dust collection bin 23, wherein the anchoring members include first and second anchoring screws 31 and 33, which have heads 31 a and 33 a, respectively. When the first and second anchoring screws 31 and 33 are provided on the dust collection bin 23, the heads 31 a and 33 b are partially inserted into the third and fourth recesses 25 c and 25 d, respectively. That is, if the lifting/lowering control member 25 is inserted into the first and second recesses 23 a and 23 b and then the anchoring screws 31 and 33 are fitted on the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin 23, the heads 31 a and 33 a of the first and second anchoring screws 31 and 33 are partially inserted into the third and fourth recesses 25 c and 25 d, as a result of which the lifting/lowering control member 25 is in a semi-restrained condition, thereby being prevented from being released downward away from the dust collection bin 23.

Now, the movement of the dust collection bin 23, which is caused by the lifting/lowering unit 30 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, is described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

In a state in which the lever part 25 d is not rotated as shown in FIG. 7, the heads 3 la and 33 a of the first and second anchoring screws 31 and 33 are positioned at the lower most ends of the inclined guide walls 26 a. If the lever part 25 b is rotated in a direction for lifting the dust collection bin 23, the first and second cam guides 23 e and 23 f and the third and fourth cam guides 25 g and 25 h cooperatively slide in relation to each other, thereby lifting the dust collection bin 23, as a result of which the lifting/lowering collection member 25 is relatively lowered in relation to the dust collection bin 23. At this time, the heads 3 la and 33 a of the first and second anchoring screws 31 and 33 are slid along the inclined guide walls 26 a. Thereafter, if the lever part 25 b is further rotated forward so as to maintain the lifted condition of the dust collection bin 23 after the lifting of the dust collection bin 23 is terminated, the heads 31 a and 33 a are moved along the horizontal guide walls 26 b and positioned as shown in FIG. 9.

In this manner, because the lifting/lowering control member 25 for rendering the dust collection bin 23 to be engaged with the outer bottom surface of the cyclone cylinder 21 is provided on the outer bottom surface 23-1 of the dust collection bin 23 rather than on the cleaner body 10, if the lever part 25 b is rotated in the direction for lifting the lifting/lowering control member 25, the dust collection bin 23 is lifted and the lifting/lowering control member 25 is lowered in relation to the dust collection bin 23. Consequently, the dust collection bin 23 is lifted and comes into close contact with the lower end of the cyclone bin 21, and the lifting/lowering control member 25 is lowered so as to compresses the bottom wall 10 a of the mounting space 9 (see FIG. 2), whereby no gap is produced between the lifting/lowering unit 30 and the bottom wall 10 a of the mounting space 9. According to the prior art, such a lifting/lowering unit 30 is provided on the bottom wall of the mounting space. Therefore, in order to cause the dust collection bin mounted on the lifting/lowering unit to be lifted and come into close contact with the cyclone cylinder, the lifting/lowering control member moves upward and presses the dust collection bin upward. Consequently, a gap is produced between the lifting/lowering unit and the bottom wall of the mounting surface to the extent the lifting/lowering control member is upwardly moved. However, according to the present embodiment, the lifting/lowering unit 30 is provided on the bottom side of the dust collection bin 23, so that the lifting/lowering control member 25 is moved and presses against the bottom wall 10 a of the mounting space 9. Therefore, no gap is produced between the bottom wall 10 a of the mounting space 9 and the lifting/lowering unit 30, thereby preventing the leakage of discharge air. Referring to FIG. 2, the motor chamber 10 b formed on the cleaner body 10 and the lifting/lowering unit 30 are sealed substantially without a gap L2 between them, so that clean air, from which dust has been removed in the cyclone cylinder 21, is all directed toward the motor chamber 10 b via the outlet port 27 without leaking out through the gap L2, whereby a pressure loss caused by the leakage of air can be reduced. In addition, because the first and second central pipes 23 d and 25 f are positioned in such a manner that one is put upon another, no discharge air leaks out. Furthermore, because the lifting/lowering unit 30 is mounted on the bottom side of the dust collection bin 23, even if dirt drops from the cyclone cylinder 21 after the dust collection bin 23 has been removed from the mounting space 9, the dirt drops on the bottom wall 10 a of the mounting space 9, thereby preventing the pollution and malfunction of the lifting/lowering unit 30 and increasing an ease of cleaning of the cleaner body 10.

Now, a vacuum cleaner 110 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. Here, component parts performing similar or analogous functions as the first embodiment are labeled in multiples of one hundred.

The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a discharge flow passage P is provided within the cleaner body 110 for communicating the motor chamber 110 b and the cyclone cylinder 121 in order to discharge air, from which dust has been removed in the cyclone cylinder 121, to the motor chamber 110 b. That is, the second embodiment is constructed in such a manner that the air of the cyclone cylinder 121 is adapted to be introduced into the motor chamber 110 b through the discharge flow passage P, unlike the first embodiment which is provided with an outlet tube and an outlet port 27, which are formed in the dust collection bin 23, and a bore 25 e, which is formed in the lifting/lowering unit 30. Referring to FIG. 11, no outlet port is formed through the bottom wall of the dust collection bin 123 and a cylindrical rotary shaft 123 c extends from the bottom part of the dust collection bin 123. Referring to FIG. 12, the central area of the body part 125 a of the lifting/lowering control member 125 is provided with a small cylinder 125-1, into which the rotary shaft 123 c can be inserted, without being formed with an opening. The rotary shaft 123 c is inserted into the cylinder 125-1 so as to center the lifting/lowering control member 125, when the control member 125 is rotated. The other components of the second embodiment are equal to those of the first embodiment. Therefore, reference numerals and description thereof are omitted.

According to the second embodiment described above, the dust collection device for a vacuum cleaner is configured in such a manner that lifting/lowering control member 125 is mounted on the bottom side of a dust collection bin 123 so that the dust collection bin and the lifting/lowering control member are movable to push away one another. As a result, no gap is produced between the lifting/lowering control member 125 and a motor chamber 110 b, whereby discharge air is completely blocked not to leak out. Furthermore, because the air is discharged through the bottom end of the cyclone cylinder 121 without leaking out, it is possible to reduce the length of the discharge flow passage P can be shortened as well as to reduce a pressure loss caused by the leakage of air from the vacuum cleaner.

In addition, because the lifting/lowering control member 125 is mounted on the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin 123, dust dropping from the cyclone cylinder 121 is not introduced into the lifting/lowering unit 130 even if the dust collection bin 123 is removed from the cyclone cylinder 121. As a result, it is possible to maintain the performance of the lifting/lowering unit 130, to prevent the malfunction of the lifting/lowering unit and to increasing the lifetime of the lifting/lowering unit.

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. 

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaner body formed with a mounting space; a vacuum motor mounted in the cleaner body to produce suction force; a brush assembly connected to the cleaner body; a dust collection device mounted in the mounting space and having a dust collection bin; and a lifting/lowering unit for lifting or lowering the dust collection bin in relation to the cleaner body so that the dust collection bin is anchored in the mounting space or removed from the mounting space, respectively, wherein the lifting/lowering unit is mounted on an outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin so that it can be mounted in the mounting space or removed from the mounting space along with the dust collection bin.
 2. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin is formed with a recess, and the lifting/lowering unit is fitted in the recess.
 3. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lifting/lowering unit comprises: a lifting/lowering control member fitted in the recess; and a plurality of cam guides which are provided on the lifting/lowering control member and the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin, respectively, upon rotation of the lifting/lowering control member.
 4. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lifting/lowering control member comprises a lever part capable of being gripped by a hand and a body part integrally formed with the lever part.
 5. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of cam guides comprises first and second cam guides projecting from the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin, and third and fourth cam guides projecting from the body part in such a manner as to be engaged with the first and second cam guides.
 6. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plurality of cam guides further comprises a fifth cam guide projecting from the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin in such a manner as to come into contact with the lever part, thereby separating the lever part from the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin.
 7. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin includes an air outlet port formed therethrough and the body part of the lifting/lowering unit includes a bore formed therein, so that air purified in the dust collection device is introduced into a motor chamber, within which the vacuum motor is installed, via the air outlet and the bore.
 8. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a discharge flow passage within the cleaner body for communicating between a motor chamber, within which the vacuum motor is installed, and a cyclone cylinder of the dust collection device in order to discharge air to the motor chamber.
 9. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 8, wherein the dust collection bin comprises a cylindrical rotary shaft extending from the outer bottom surface of the dust collection bin.
 10. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 9, wherein the body part of the lifting/lowering control member comprises a cylinder into which the cylindrical rotary shaft can be inserted so as to center the lifting/lowering control member when the lifting/lowering control member is rotated. 